OWENSBORO, KY - A BEAST now calls the =
Owensboro=20
Police Department home. And don't let its looks fool =
you. What=20
the BEAST lacks in size, it makes up for in the=20
field.

The Bar-Encoded =
Evidence=20
Analysis Statistics and Tracking System is now how OPD =
officers log evidence.

"We use a bar =
code system=20
similar to what you see in the grocery store aisles, =
the=20
grocery store scanners. Just not maybe as complex and =
designed=20
for law enforcement to track our evidence," said =
Marvin=20
Hayden.

Before, =
evidence was=20
tracked the old fashion way by paper. Filling out =
forms proved=20
to be time consuming and sometimes =
inaccurate.

"Verses with =
paper in the=20
past, we would document by hand and initial off and =
date=20
things. But sometimes our times might be different. =
But with=20
this bar code system, everything is synced with the =
computer=20
clocks," says Hayden.

How the $15,000 =
system=20
works, the officer logs the evidence into the BEAST's =
computer=20
software and it's given a number. That number goes =
with a bar=20
code, matching up with the information in the system. =
Giving=20
it its exact location in the evidence holding vault =
and=20
details to its case.

With a name =
like the=20
BEAST, getting the officers to tame the devices had =
its funny=20
moments.

"We had to go =
through and=20
train all of our officers, all of our detectives on =
how to log=20
the property into this new system. So yeah we had some =
pretty=20
light moments in dealing with the beast so to speak," =
said=20
Hayden.

Hayden hopes =
that the=20
BEAST is not the last improvement the department sees, =
and=20
that more technology is on the way.

"Colonel =
Skeens, our=20
chief, is always looking at trying to increase our =
technology=20
here at the department. So we can be more productive, =
more=20
efficient, and also help us do our jobs better for the =
public," said Hayden.

Some =
technological=20
improvements the department is aiming for is an =
updated finger=20
printing system and video enhancement software. All =
depend on=20
whether or not the department has the budget or =
receives=20
grants.